Isuzu may launch D-Max pickup in India by 2010-11

Isuzu may start importing the D-Max pickup to India as a CBU, by 2010-11


Japanese carmaker Isuzu is considering the possibility of launching the D-Max, its multi-purpose pickup vehicle in India by 2010-11. ‘India is a very important market for us. We have plans to launch our pickup truck D-Max here in the next two years, but it has lots of strong competitors,’ says Tac Shindo, GM – Southwest Asia Group, Isuzu Motors Ltd.

The Isuzu D-Max is one of the highest selling vehicles in Thailand, the world's second-largest market for pickup trucks. ‘We have already showcased the vehicle at the Auto Expo in Delhi earlier this year, and the response was overwhelming. So we intend to bring the D-Max to the Indian market. But how? That is being worked out,’ adds Shindo. For the D-Max, Isuzu may either leverage its existing commercial vehicles tie-up with Swaraj Mazda or go it alone. ‘Nothing has been finalised yet. It can be Swaraj Mazda or we can do it ourself. We can go for some other partner also,’ says Shindo.

However, what does seem certain is that if the Isuzu D-Max is launched in India, it will initially be imported as a CBU and distributed through a local partner, and if the vehicle is successful, then Isuzu may possibly start assembling it in the country at a later stage.

Isuzu already supplies its technology, engine and drivetrain for buses to Swaraj Mazda, which the latter manufactures at its facility in Ropar, in Punjab, with a capacity of 12,000 units per annum.

Source:http://www.indiaautomotive.net/2008/08/isuzu-may-launch-d-max-pickup-in-india.html

If the D-Max pick up comes here in CBU form then there is no chance of it selling that well due to extremely high pricing. Plus India hasn't yet gotten used to the Pick up culture and they are still seen as utility rather than aspirational vehicles, which makes their game even tougher. The Tata Xenon and the Mahindra Getaway are clearly having a very tough time. Still this is a welcome move and such initiatives are needs to mature the market and make them aware of all types of vehicles.

Yeah but more competition will make better pricing.

cooll, this thing looks cool and also powerful, i would buy one for weekends if this thing launches in india

chevrolet used to sell this. But then something happened and they stopped selling it. Now they are selling a very similler one called colorado but its not the american colorado

Zal wrote:chevrolet used to sell this. But then something happened and they stopped selling it. Now they are selling a very similler one called colorado but its not the american colorado

ZAL, can you post some pic of the ones being sold out there?

Zal wrote:chevrolet used to sell this. But then something happened and they stopped selling it. Now they are selling a very similler one called colorado but its not the american colorado

How is Chevrolet and Isuzu related? Is there any tie-up between them for sharing vehicles? If i remember correctly, Isuzu Panther is Chevy Tavera.

and i've got another doubt, will isuzu trade these pickups directly and service them or will it take the path of FIAT?

napster wrote:and i've got another doubt, will isuzu trade these pickups directly and service them or will it take the path of FIAT?

They may get help from Swaraj Mazda, but again there will be a problem, as the persons involving in trucks never care about perfection.

is there a market for expensive pick ups in india? the getaway & xenon hardly sell. this thing will be much more expensive as its a CBU.

Yes India doesn't have the market for premium pick-ups. Pick-ups in general in the minds of an Indian is the 207 and Pik-up, which are the worst example.


Isuzu has said that only if it sells in good numbers, they'll assemble it here.

I'd say if they assemble it here and offer it for less price, it'll sell ;)

it sure will, if its price tag is reasonable, this truck looks good, not like the 207, and one more thing which is important is the sound of the engine, 207 really sounds bad

then what about the xenon? its a great looker. even that did not sell.

we still need to get matured market to get selling this pickups here, already have seen the tata's and mahindra's pickups doing nothing here as compared to exports, we are still lacking that matured growth of weekend travelling around and also around country by roads which is why we dont see such vehicles doing gr8 here.

raj_5004 wrote:then what about the xenon? its a great looker. even that did not sell.

My word on this is, for us(Indians), pick-up trucks reminds of 207, pik-up and Trax, they are the worst examples. It'll take some time for us to change the perception of looking at Pick-ups. I believe with more new launches, it'll change.

When i said to me friends that i'd buy Xenon in the future if possible, they laughed at me. Still they didn't get the idea about pick-ups, because of our Indian examples.

well CC yeah i wont get ammused of the fact that your friends laughed at you for your wish to buy one pickup, this is our market's mentality which is why not many of this vehicles sell.

All of you are speaking the truth that pick-ups hardly sell here because of downgraded examples and high pricing. I also said that if this is a CBU, it will have a very tough time selling in decent numbers. But then, in order to change, we need good examples at mouth-watering prices, which is what Indian customers understand. I think this new pick-up looks very trendy and may well be the new trendsetter around the block.

Well, why should pick ups sell? we indians (please dont mind) are not off the most adventurous types (baring a few). we dont go for river surfing, treking, etc. our weekend plans are mostly a drive to lonavala or the adjacent mall... why do we need a pick up truck for this?

Yeah that's a point. It'll take some time for us being adventurous. And also we need patience, right set of people, good spots(yet to be discovered).

Absolutely Raj, also we dont offen do our trips by road, not always" which is why pickups dont do well here added to your points.